Music Box
by hikomokushi
Summary: Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends. KakaSaku. 10 drabbles for LiveJournal Meme. COMPLETE.
1. So I Need You

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** 3 Doors Down – So I Need You  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Yes, another KakaSaku drabble thingy. I have these written, but I'm going to post one every week for ten weeks. Mainly because I feel like being mean. That and when I have nothing to post, I can post one of these if I have to.

_Next Chapter _–_ February 5th._

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_**Music Meme**  
1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.  
3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!  
4. Do ten of these, then post them._

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The man's arms wrapped around her slowly, tugging her back to him. "Don't leave," he whispered, holding her as tightly as he could without crushing her.

For a moment, she struggled, shaking her head.

His face lowered in the crook of her neck, and she could feel his breath hot against her skin there. "Stay here. _Please_."

He was begging, she realized. Her mouth nearly dropped open at the implications this idea brought to her. _Kakashi._ Hatake Kakashi. _Begging._ Begging _her_.

She stopped struggling.

"Okay," she whispered back, relaxing. "Okay, I'll stay." As soon as she said it, something in his breathing changed. It was less ragged, less harsh. His back was warm against hers. Her hand reached back and touched his cheek. Something twisted in her heart when his masked lips kissed her palm.


	2. Blush

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Plumb – Blush (Only You)  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** I decided to post it a day early, so that I could make the update day a Monday instead of a Tuesday. It just made more sense in my head. Posting at the beginning of the week—posting _Picture Trends_ normally at the end of the week (or the beginning of the weekend. . .) It keeps things organized in my head.

Just saying, however, I recently finished a fic called _Svelte_ (KakaSaku of course), and I have acquired **beautyinsleep** as a beta for it, but I would to know if someone who has written lemons before would like to help me out and beta it. It's my first full-length lemon and, well, _I'm_ pleased with it. But I have this irrational fear that nobody is going to like it and I am going to be the laughingstock of the KakaSaku community because I can't write a decent lemon. xD If you'd like to help, you can either get in contact with me through the message system or go to my LJ and message me there. . . or friend me or whatever. (I'm such an LJ friend whore. Heh. ) Or through AIM or my EMAIL. (links to LJ, and my AIM and EMAIL are in my profile.)

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Kakashi smirked faintly.

Tilting his head slightly to the side, he observed her. "What's the matter?" He reached a hand out and brushed it against her face, fingers trailing along her jaw before cupping her cheek gently. His eyes dropped from hers for a minute. They scanned the yukata she wore. His smirk widened. "You look beautiful, you know that?"

Sakura could feel her cheeks flushing even deeper. "I thought we weren't supposed to do this anymore?" Her green eyes narrowed and she pushed his hand away from her cheek—his fingers wrapped around her hand instead.

"Do you want that?" He didn't look upset, merely curious. His voice was soft, low; deep baritone hardly rising about the noise of the festival. "Tell me. . ."

She shook her head and clung to his hand. Her cheeks reddened again, fingers sliding to clasp her hand with his. "Oh, shut up, already."


	3. Get Stoned

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Hinder – Get Stoned  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** T  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** People are going to be very mad this is only a drabble. . . xD

I'm expecting to finish Chapter VI of _Picture Trends_ by the end of this week. I got Monday off of school because of a cold-day, and then I have Friday off - as well as Monday of next week off. If I don't get it finished by the end of the week, you can all punch me.

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She pulled her punch, doing a backwards roll instead. When she hit the ground, she stared at him as though he'd grown another head.

He raised an eyebrow at her, his visible eye twinkling. "Sakura, close your mouth. You'll catch flies."

"_Excuse me?"_ She could barely contain herself. Her cheeks flushed angrily, pale skin blotching as her temper rose. Her fists flexed against her. His visible eye dropped slightly to peer as she clenched them. He smirked then, taking a step closer. She held a hand up instead, taking a step backwards as she pointed a finger accusingly. "You! Just. . . stay away! I swear, I will punch you into fucking next week!"

"I thought girls liked being touched?" Kakashi stopped and rested one of his hands on his hip, the other in his pants pocket.

"You just freaking molested me in the middle of our spar!" she shouted, her eyes bulging. "You just. . . You _groped_ my chest! What the hell did you expect me to do? Take my shirt off, wave it around my head, and order you take me?"

He rolled his eye. "It would have been easier to work with."

Sakura gaped. He resumed his walk. This time, she didn't say anything, her hand drooped slightly. He stopped in front of her and placed his finger under her chin, pushing up. Her mouth closed. She also met his eyes.

That is, until he leaned forward to speak into her ear. "But I like my privacy and my decency. I'd rather take you in my bed than in the forest. What if someone saw?"

He was gone a second later.


	4. I Hate This Song

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Secondhand Serenade – I Hate This Song  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Yes, once again, I don't have the next chapter of _Picture Trends_ done when I say I will. Didn't I say you all could punch me? You'll at least be happy to know there's some _good_ action in this next chapter. As in people are finally getting almost-rescued. x)

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"It's okay, you know." Her voice is soft. She leans forward and brushes her fingertips through his hair. He flinches away from her. She sighs and retracts her hand. "I'll leave."

She stands up, removing herself from his bed.

She's about to walk away when his hand wraps around her wrist.

Mismatched eyes avoid looking at her. "Wait, Sakura," he manages. When he finally does look at her, she can't help the way she's compelled to embrace him. She braces her knee on the bed and leans against him.

Kakashi's hand lets go of her wrist and wraps around her back instead. His nose buries in her hair, and he presses butterfly kisses to her hairline. "This is wrong. I'm so. . ."

"Perfect?" she whispers, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt. "You're such an idiot, Kakashi. It's not wrong if I love you."


	5. Colors

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Amos Lee – Colors  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Uh-huh. Um. Yea. I tried to work on _Picture Trends_ and ending up making something completely different. Which will also end up being a series. Small series. But a series. So I'll have _Picture Trends_, _Shines the Heavens_, and now _Look at it Broken_ (which the first chapter should be posted sometime today.)

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"It's April again," she whispered, swiping her hand along the stone. "Remember when we went to the cherry blossom festival?"

She almost chuckled. "Remember how they all got caught up in your hair?" Her eyes closed partially and she stared at her hand where it met the cold granite. She glanced up at her reflection in the stone. "Naruto said he couldn't see me at all, because my hair blended in with the trees."

Sakura sighed and brought her knees before her, hugging them. "Nothing's the same anymore. . . I just can't—" Tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm sorry; I promised you I wouldn't cry." Brushing her shorts off, she got to her feet.

Pausing, she offered a bow. "I'll. . . I'll see you."

When she was walking away, something caught her wrist.

"Hey." His voice was soft. He rubbed his thumb against the bump on the side of her wrist. "You wanna go for a walk?"

Glancing up, Sakura blinked. "Kakashi, I'm not the best of company today."

He offered a small smile, even managing to look a little awkward as he stepped closer. His hand brushed against her cheek, and his finger came back damp. "I'm never the best of company," he admitted quietly. "But I'm sick of seeing the world through black and white." He twirled a lock of pink hair between his fingers.

She almost laughed out loud—she managed a small chuckle and a smile. "Yes, because getting two depressed people together is better than having them apart, huh?" Sakura asked.

"No, you just brighten my day."


	6. The Sound of Pulling Heaven Down

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Blue October – The Sound of Pulling Heaven Down  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** T  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Gooood. I just realized now that I never updated this monday. Sorry for the wait, this week has been hectic (which accounts to _Picture Trends_ not being done yet) and it's just getting worse. My friends want to go bowling saturday, but I think I'm going to stay home. I really want the time to work in _PT_. I rushed the end of Chapter V, if anybody noticed. Chapter VI is too important for me to rush through anything. I don't want lack of time to take a toll on my writing. If that means it takes longer to get Chapter VI out, I think you'll all agree; it's the quality of the story that counts, not how long it takes to get it out.

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She arched against the bed, sighing as she felt her muscles stretch.

"It's almost morning, you know." His voice came across deeper, raspier than it normally would have been. Opening one eye, she peered across the room at him, smirking slightly.

Sakura gave a groan as her back gave a satisfying pop. "Key word there being 'almost'," she replied, closing her eye. She tugged the comforter back against her, rolling onto her side. "Besides, since when did the time of day matter to you? I thought you liked being late."

Kakashi sighed and crossed the room, standing beside the bed. Her head turned to look at him, bubblegum hair fanning the pillow. "You still don't know what it is you're doing." He eyed her hungrily, and she watched him as she imagined one would watch a wolf, silhouetted against the sunrise—dangerous and beautiful and deadly.

"Well, maybe. . ." Her hand reached up and she curled a finger. "Why don't you come teach me?"

Her lips curled in the corner as he leaned down in spite of his own better intentions and kissed her. Her hands tugged him closer and he knelt on the bed, hands dragging her up off the bed against him. When his mouth dropped to kiss her sternum, she laughed out loud, his lips ticklish against her skin. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his mouth back to hers.

"I love you, ya'know," she whispered when they came apart, her voice breathy.

"It's more than love." Kakashi's mismatched eyes rose to meet hers for a second before he kissed her forehead. "I can't live without you."


	7. You Could Be Happy

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Snow Patrol – You Could Be Happy  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** K  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Yea, I know, late again. But I'm happy my computer's even working at the moment, it keeps screwing up so often. That and little muse. Not knowing how to finish _Picture Trends_ is really draining my reserve. I promise I will get it out by friday night. I won't make it go any longer.

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He's not sure, but Kakashi knows he needs to see her. If only just once.

Just once more, and then he'll be willing to let go.

Because he knows for sure that it's been years since he's seen the sunrise and he knows it's not as glorious as she is. Her pink hair gleams in the brightening butter-yellow light as she walks in circles, checking all her luggage and talking with her friends. Says good-bye, promises to write, miss you and love you and hope to see you soon, come visit me.

Her trip to Suna will be a long one and none of them are sure when she will be coming back. Their pink wonder is one who will not be easily forgotten, and they are most certainly sure that she will enjoy her time away. They are proud to see her go—but not happy.

From the shadows, he watches her silently. He knows she's leaving. And he knows she might not be coming back.

But most of all, he knows she's happy.

He hasn't seen her this happy in ages. Not since before Sasuke and before her parents and before _them._

Naruto hugs her one last time as she takes what little belongings she is taking with her. She cries on her best friend's shoulder, assuring that she will come home for her child's birth. She promises them letters and pictures and a check-in every month to make sure she is safe.

And it is in those few seconds after she walks out of the Konoha gates that he realizes he can't bear to see her leave him almost as much as he can't bear to see her unhappy.

He rushes to catch up with her, grabbing her by the wrist to spin her back into his arms. She glances up at him, green eyes wide with indignation and shock before they close shut as he presses his lips against her. When he pulls away, she's breathless. He kisses her forehead, her eyes and her bottom lip. "Be happy," he whispers, meeting her gaze intensely. "Just be happy. And don't forget."

There is nothing that they can say to make the situation any better. So she merely raises her face and kisses his lips through his mask once before she says she needs to go. It is all that he needs. He releases her then, lets her go, watches her even.

She glances though, over her shoulder, before she disappears from sight. His hands find his pockets, smirking. Because he knows that she wants to pursue her dreams and her own ambitions and he did that once too, and she deserves the chance as much as he did. Because he knows she will be happy.

Kakashi has always been a cocky man. If anything, he lets her go because he knows now Suna won't be her new home. She _will _be back.

And he will be waiting.


	8. I'm With You

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Avril Lavigne – I'm With You  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** K  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** I'm not dead. (: Decided to finally finish this up in an attempt to get my muse working. I've been also considering writing some _Vampire Academy_ fanfiction, cause I'm all for Adrian/Rose.

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She faintly brushed wet strands of hair from where it plastered to her mask and obscured her eye holes.

Her hands squeezed the railing of the bridge tightly, using it as an anchor. The ground felt as though it were moving underneath her. She couldn't find her center of balance, and she was sure that if she let go now, she'd surely fall over. Something in her stomach flopped over and the blood rushed in her ears. She'd been home for nearly four hours now, and she hadn't been able to move from this spot.

Warm light reflected off the river beneath her, but she could take no solace in its gentle hue. It flickered distantly, seeming to flare then fade within her gaze. Her breath was hot inside her mask, but it was the only part of body that wasn't yet numbed to the cold of the frigid, falling rain. Briefly, she wondered how angry Tsunade would be with her when she did not show up for the post-mission briefing. Obviously, the elder woman would understand, but just because she understood did not mean that she would be overly sympathetic. _We're ninja_, she reminded herself brusquely. _Deal with it._ It's what Tsunade would say to her.

"Sparrow."

Wearily, she turned her head and blinked at the masked, gray-haired ANBU before her. The first few seconds past without sound, even though she attempted to speak. When she finally managed to mutter a low acknowledgement in reply, it sounded hollow and wispy. Her throat hurt and water leaked through the top of her mask. "You need something, Wolf?"

He shifted further, closer, into her limited view. "How long have you been here, Sparrow?" While in garb he kept to the formal ANBU titles, but his voice was slightly less cold than the rain. Even after two years in the special corps, she still couldn't get used to her official name. At the induction ceremony, they'd handed her a bird mask and affectionately dubbed her "Sparrow" because she was anything but. Sparrows were dull and plain; hardy, brown and earthlike. She was pink and soft and fragile-looking. She hated her name. She felt as helpless as a sparrow.

"Few hours," she whispered.

"Come on." The ANBU held out his hand for her. "Let's go inside." The only recognition she gave it was a slightly tipped gaze as she peered at it despairingly. When she did nothing, he shook it for emphasis and hardened his voice, if only slightly. "You'll catch your death in the rain."

He knew he'd misspoken the moment the words had left his mouth. Green eyes went wide in their eye holes and he dismissed proper conduct, grabbing her soaked shoulder with one hand while the other removed his mask from his face. Even with the light across the bridge, his face was too shadowed for her to see his expression. Slowly, he slid hers off as well, and she let him, allowing her mask to fall to the ground next to his. "I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to her hairline. He tugged her close. "I'm so sorry."

"Guess I didn't learn your lesson." Her voice was muffled into his neck as he cradled her to his chest. "Never leave a teammate behind."

He shook his head furiously. "You're not God. You can't save them all." He held her at arm's length then, leaning down to stare with both eyes into hers. "You did nothing wrong." When she said nothing, he shook her once before crushing her to him again. "You hear me, Sakura?" She flinched at her true name. "You did nothing wrong."

"He's gone, Kakashi." She sniffed, tears mixing with rain water on her face.

He kissed her forehead again before letting her go momentarily to retrieve their masks. Her arms folded around her torso, silently shuddering in the dark night. He wrapped an arm tight about her waist. "You can't save them all," he repeated quietly, head down and face shadowed. She wondered then, looking at him, how many he'd had to leave behind.


	9. Hold Your Tears

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Clazziquai – Dance / Hold Your Tears (Dance Now)  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Everybody, go read "Dance Now" by **moodiful819**. I first listened to this song because of that piece. It's completely beautiful, and every time my iPod plays it, I have to go reread it. -shameless non-profit advertising- …And okay, I went a little long.

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"I love this song. C'mon." A gentle hand tugs on his sleeve.

He shakes his head furiously. A mission that was only supposed to take two days had ended up taking five; and in those five, he had only gotten about six hours of sleep. He had returned home at the crack of dawn, spent most of his morning and afternoon in Tsunade's office explaining in explicit and often irritated particulars why the mission had been a complete and total failure. The failure—his fault, or so the Hokage had decided to think—had resulted in no pay for the mission, a forced month off, and two broken ribs. At the moment, Sakura was lucky that he had even come out of his apartment. He'd been dead set on spending his entire month drinking himself into oblivion.

The young woman frowns, beryl eyes widening reproachfully. "You promised me one."

"It's my birthday," he retorts, shaking her off slightly to grasp the shot glass Genma sat in front of him. He inclines the glass and dips his head to her before lowering his mask to tip back the alcohol straight. A line dribbles down his chin, glinting in the light, and he wipes at it messily as he replaces his mask. "There are at least a dozen boys here who'll gladly let you lead. Go rope one of them into dancing with you."

Sakura's frown deepens considerably. Wrinkles crease her forehead. "Besides the fact that this place is crawling with civilian men?" she asks waspishly, flipping a lock of cropped pink hair out of her eyes with a flick of her index finger. Her fingers curl around the back of his chair threateningly. He doesn't yet feel the wood give, but he definitely hears it groan under the force of her fingers. "I think I'll pass. Ino's probably had her way with most of them." Her blonde friend is currently entangled with some dark-haired, faceless man in the corner booth at the back of the bar. "I'm sick of clean-up duty." Ino was a downright heart breaker, and she'd left more than a few men wanting. The ninjas glared, but normally shuffled onto other things and women, attempting to hide bruised egos, punctured prides, and sometimes even a burgeoning hard-on. The civilians, however, kept coming back for more. And most of the time, they were thrown Sakura's way. She didn't enjoy Ino's leftovers.

"I'm not in the mood to dance," he says again, visible gray eye hard. His vision is beginning to swim as Genma continues to pass him the tiny glasses, filled to the brim with clear, nose-clearing chill. "Go find someone else."

His cold rejection snaps her back into place, and she sets her pink mouth into a firm line as her eyes harden. "Fine. Not like you can dance anyway." She snaps at Genma, who has decided to become the acting bartender, relocating to the other side of the bar. She wonders if that is more because it brings him in closer proximity to the alcohol or takes him further away from her. "Double shot of vodka," she instructs.

Genma glances at Kakashi, whose head gives a fraction of a shake.

"Sorry, hon," he says gently, "you're cut off for the night."

"I've yet to drink anything at all, I'm not drunk, and I'm not stumbling around like an idiot. I can probably function better than this jackass. Give me my shot." Her hands drum warningly on the wooden bar between them.

Genma concedes and slides the full glass across the bar to her. "Sorry, man." Kakashi frowns under his mask, glaring at his friend.

Six shots later, Sakura is more than happy to join Ino and her friend's currently attraction—as well as his ginger-haired friend—on the dance floor for a little get-to-know-you public grope. Her brain is fuzzy and she's not quite sure what the man's name is, but he is warm and friendly in her hands, and more than willing to get a little personal. "What's your name again?" she tries to ask, though she is not sure as to what really comes out of her mouth. His hand glides further down her waist, and as she feels fingertips lightly slide into the waistband of her pants, a hand closes around her wrist.

"C'mon," mutters Kakashi, tugging her away from the civilian boy.

Ino's lower jaw hangs as she clings to her date. Sakura gives her friend a blank look, before mouthing a silent apology to the boy she's led away from. The older man takes her across the entire dance floor, and she makes to say that they've left the dance floor, but her back meets the wall. When her eyes rise to meet his, she swallows thickly. "The dance floor's over there." She points weakly over his shoulder to where they'd left her friend and the two civilians. Not that she cares.

She can smell the alcohol on his breath, and a small smile curls the corner of her lip. Her gut swirls with feelings that she's sure has nothing to do with vodka, and when Kakashi leans forward to press his nose into the crook of her neck, her fingernails scratch lightly at the short hair at his nape. "Or it can be here," she murmurs quietly, voice fluttering as his breath tickles her pulse point.

Kakashi hums quietly, gripping her hips to nearly painful levels. "I owe you a dance," he says, voice hushed. "How about we go bedroom dancing?"


	10. Sleep On It

**Title:** Music Box  
**Author:** Hiko Mokushi  
**Prompt:** Livejournal Music Meme  
**Song:** Saving Jane – Sleep On It  
**Pairing:** Hatake Kakashi x Haruno Sakura  
**Rating:** K  
**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto. Summary quoted from Alphonse de Lamartine.  
**Summery:** Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.

**Author Notes:** Done. (: Oh, and btw, I am working on Chapter 8 of _Picture Trends_.

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Ino gripped Sakura's wrist tightly, before spinning in a half circle and throwing the small gathering of flowers out into the crowd. A couple dozen young women pushed and shoved their way amongst themselves, jostling to grab the loose bundle. Ino laughed out loud when some of the younger ones even decided to take it to a fight over the bouquet. "Come on, girls," she giggled, lifting the ends of her dress with one hand to make it easier as she walked towards the group. "Let's play nice."

"They's ninja, what do you expect?" Sakura laughed, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

Ino's wedding had been the talk of the town for weeks, as the entire Konohagakure village had prepared for the festivities. The small group of dedicated bridesmaids had attempted to easy Ino's worries about getting everything done in time; and at the center of the hub of their well-oiled machine, Haruno Sakura had been crucial to the planning. But now that the wedding was over and the rehearsal in full swing, all she wanted to do was take a load off her feet.

Watching the rest of the girls, she slowly walked to the head table. Grabbing her glass, she sipped the champagne lightly. She'd never been a big fan, but Ino had insisted that everyone be plied with it, because it was fancy and pretty. Glancing at the glass, Sakura tipped her head slightly to the side. She could understand what Ino meant, though. The glass looked pretty in a well-manicured hand.

"Tired of all the attention yet?"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at her ex-sensei, a smirk ghosting her face as she took in his haphazard appearance. He'd donned black slacks and a dress shirt—complete with tie—for the occasion, but he looked stiff and uncomfortable. "Well, look who's all dressed up."

"Somebody insisted. Loss of limb, remember?" he replied. The mask, however, still remained in place. He'd found a blue button up shirt of just the right shade to match.

Her smile increased tenfold. "I do recall that threat." She set her flute down and walked towards him, a little unsteady on her four-inch heels, but enjoying the way the silk of the purple dress felt when it glided across the skin of her ankles. She didn't get to enjoy pampering herself, and she hadn't worn a true dress in years. She felt pretty, beautiful even—a rare moment to shine and feel like a woman. Champagne going to her head, she found she liked the way that Kakashi's gaze slipped from her face to her bare neckline and chest. "See something you like?"

The man's eyes snapped back to her face. "What makes you think that?"

She smirked. "Because you can't keep your eyes off my chest."

"New necklace. Who bought that?"

Her fingertips gingerly touched the dangling tear-drop diamond that glittered in the dip of cleavage. "Gift from the Kazekage, back a few months ago." She stepped closer, lifting her head slightly as she peered at him. He met her gaze evenly. "Why? Jealous?"

"I don't need jewelry to charm you, Sakura-chan. You're mine and you will always be mine," he murmured quietly, looking down at her as she walked within inches of him. With her heels, she was merely an inch or two shorter. The lack of height dominance didn't seem like such a bad thing when his gaze slipped from her eyes to her lips. "I plan to keep it that way."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and her lips spread wide with a grin. She reached out and trailed a finger along his tie before gripping it tightly. She stared at it, tugging gently, before she glanced back up at him. "Prove it." She wasn't if he heard her at first. His eyes remained transfixed on her lips, so she pursed them for emphasis before repeating her words. Behind his mask, she watched his own curve in a smirk.

His hand rose to settle on barely-there, budding swell of her stomach, and her breath caught. "I already did."


End file.
